Nonskid device for tires



March 5, 1940. D, STQRRS 2,192,419

NONSKID DEVICE FOR TIRES Filed March 30, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VE UP GEORGE D. SToRRs March 5, 1940. s o s 2,192,419

NONSKID DEYICE FOR TIRES Filed March 36, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

GEORGE D. SToRRs bi gmum Patented Mar. 5, 1940 PATENT, ,oFFicE NONSKYID DEVICE For: TIRES George D. Storrs, Eau Claire, Wis assignor to Gillette Rubber Company, Eau ,Claire, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application, March 30, 1938, Serial No, 198,802

40laims. (Cl. 152-237) The present invention relates to a non-skid device for tires, and more particularly to tire chain construction for use with automotive vehicle tires having individually separated calk projections or other configurations formed as a part of the tire tread, and constituting studs or calks for traction purposes, and to a tire chain construction in which provision is made in cross chains to fit about and receive certain of said projections, together with means for temporarily applying the chain to the tire, or to any portion of the same. 7

It is old to use tire chains on automobile tires to afford increased traction while driving in snow,

mud, sand or the like. However, with the tire chains as at present constructed, sometimes when the wheels encounter rough going they spin inside the chains, the chains slipping relatively to the tires without affording any traction effect. The present invention is concerned with a tire chain construction having cross chains with certain parts or portions shaped to fit about protruding parts of the tire treaai, studs, calks or other configurations, thereby anchoring the chains againstficreeping and at the same time reinforcing such encompassed projections as to increase the tractive effect of the tire. Any dBfOl':

mation of the projections occurring under weight of the vehicle, tends to spread such projections I 30, into tight engagement with such chain partsand thereby increase the effectiveness of the chain for traction purposes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel non-skid device for tires which may 35 be readily applied and removed, and which is fashioned to make engagement with certain protuberances on the tires to prevent relative movement between the chains and tires. Another object of the present invention is to 40 provide a non-skid device for application to rubber tires for temporarily adding metal protection to certain of the configurations of the tire tread thus offering metal surfaces at the points of contact between the projections and the roadyto 45 oppose any tendency of the vehicle to skid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a non-skid device for tires which remains in a fixed position on the tire surface, thereby increasing the positive tractive and non-skidding 50 effect of the tire by becoming, while attached,-a

part of the tire.

A still further objectpf the present invention is to provide a' non-skid device for tires of such character as to eliminate substantially all of the 55 vibration incidental to a vehicle equipped with thereof are asfollows:

tire chains, especially when operating over hard surface. roads.

The invention has for a further object the provision of' a tire chain so constructed with parts engagingloosely over certain of the configura- :5 tions of a tire tread as to reinforce such configurations and prevent against skid, and connecting the portions in such manner as to preven displacement from the tire while in use.

Generally speaking, the invention contemplates 10' a tire chain including a cross link having parts shaped to encompass certain protuberances or projections on the tire tread, to armor such pro tuberances, together with means for maintaining the chain in place on the tire; 15

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and the views 20 Figurel is afragmental portion of a tirehaving configurations on its tread surface, the con-' figurations being illustrated as in the form of truncated cones, with a cross chain of the present 25 invention thereto applied;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of a tireand rim, the tire having protuberances on its tread, and with a tire chain of the present invention thereto applied.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of theinvention illustrated inFig'ure's 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is aview similar to Figure 1 showing" a tire having protuberances or projections of a different configuration.

Figure 5 is a plan view of'a portion of another form of cross link construction adapted to be supported on the tire by the usual side chains engaging the wall portions of the tire.

Figure 6 is a plan 'viewof another form of 40 the invention of the'character illustrated in Fig-' ure 5.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views of parts of different shapes to conform to differently shaped protuberances or projections on tires.

The drawings will now' be explained:'

A fragmental section of atire A is illustrated inFigure 1 having its tread-portion provided with a pluralityof protuberances or projectionsl which are illustrated as truncatedcones.

Illustrated in Figure 3'is a plan view of one form of the invention, comprising plates 2 and 3 adapted to be placed against the side walls ofa, tire, which plates are connected by linkage 4 and 5,-providing two cross members, in which linkage The device is so constructed that the parts or portions 6 and I encompass the protuberances or projections I as shown in Figure 2 with the intervening parts lying within the spaces between other configurations so that there is but slight projection of the device beyond the surface generated by the extremities of the protuberances- The portions 6 and 'l of this form of the invention are shown as of coiledwire formation, whichencompass certain of the protuberances or projections and when under compression between the tire'and the road firmly grip the projections and prevent displacement. The fact that .the'portions 6 and l encompass certain of the projections and. that the structure as a whole is attached to the tire by the strap 8 causes the device-to remain. firmly in place without creepage and at the .same time reinforcingthe encompassed projections and affording non-skid features. v 1 5 The tire B shown inFigure 4 has aplurality of projections it formed in the nature of truncated pyramids spaced one from another.

.The form of theinvention illustrated in this figure includes a chain structure adapted --to extend throughout the peripheral extent of the tire and includes the usual side chains l! to which, at intervals, are connected cross links l2.

Thecross links are provided at intervals with parts I3 shaped to encompass the pyramidal projections II) in the manner illustrated. The

parts I3 of this form of the invention: may be- V I made as castings or otherwise fashioned;

Figure 5 illustrates a fragmented portion of a cross. chain having two branches i4 and I5 at one end, provided with hooks I6 and I7 respectively to engage side chains such as" side chains II. A cross member I8'is provided with an enlarged part I9 shapedto encompass a protuberance or projection on a tire, and to this partis connecteda hook for receiving a simi lar hook ofa companion part so that when the. parts are in place, a cross link is provided. with 55' a plurality of the portions I9 encompassing several of the protuberances of the tire tread. The form. offthe invention illustrated in Figure 6 includes a cross chain 2| having branches 22, 23 at one end and branches. 2'4 and 25 at the other end adapted to engage side chains such as the side chains I I to secure the same in place,

Cross link 2! is provided with a part 26 shaped to encompass the projection or protuberance of a tire tread in -a manner to reinforce or armor.

the projection and add anti-skid qualities to the tire..,The balanceof the .chainstructure is designed to lie within spaces between other projections'or protuberances in the manner illus-.

trated in Figure 2. It is to be understood that the parts I9 and 26, shown in Figuresv 5 and 6,

might of course be constructed ofcoiled wire formation.

Figure 7 illustrates a cross chain part Z'Ishaped to surround asubstantially cylindrical protube're ance or projection and is provided with ears 28 for connecting it to a suitable cross chain.

Figure 8 illustrates a part 29 shaped to fit about a substantially square protuberance or projection and is providedwithears or lugs 30 for connecting it to a cross chain.

In like. manner the part 3| shown in Figure 9 is shaped to encompass a hexagonal stud 'or projection and is provided with :ldgsor ears 32 for connecting it in place in a cross link.

It is the contemplation of the present invention that the parts of the cross chains or linkage,

which engage the projectionsor protuberances of the tire, loosely engage such projections or protuberances to enable ready, application of that such projections or protuberances are of the crosschains to a tire. Becausev of the fact rubber or rubber composition, the'same will be I compressed when encountering a road surface,

which compression deforms the projections later ally thus serving to increase the holding engagement between the chain parts and the protuberances to protect the protuberances against bending or breakage and tofacilitate cooperation between the projections and the chain part for improving tractive conditions. 1

The invention has been described herein more I or'less in detail, yet it is to be understood that the invention is not tobe limited thereby'a's 6 changes may be'rnade inthe arrangementand proportion of parts and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

bers for loosely surrounding certain of the, tire studs, said stud surrounding members leaving the ends of said studs uncovered, said cross chain" members being so arranged that the stud surthe spirit and.

1. In combination with-a studded tire,a skid chainhaving a cross chainv provided with mema rounding members of any two adjacent cross.

chains are out of circumferential and transverse register with one another.

2. In combination with a studded tire, a member comprising a metallic coil adapted to loosely' fit about a stud, linkage connected to said mem ber, and means connected to said linkage to hold said member in place on said stud;

3. In combination with a studded tire, a tire chain including a pair of" parallel chains adapted" to extend across the tire tread, each chain in-:'

cludinga part adapted to fit loosely abouttransversely spaced studsrthe stud engaging part of one chain'being out of transverse and circumferential register with .the stud engagi part of the other chain, said stud engagingjpart fitting about said studs Without covering the exposed ends of the studs, and means for holding said'chain in position on said tire, said stud engaging parts being capable of limited endwi'se compression as the encompassed-studs contact. to the travel of the.

a road surface incidental tire. I a

4. An anti-skid device for a studded tire comprising a single piece of wire fashioned to provide a stud encompassing part'and oppositely disposed attaching lugs, said'stud engaging part consisting of several turnsof wire to provide endwise compressibility under vehicle load as.

the part encounters a road surface incidental to tire travel, links connected to said lugs, and

means connected to saidlinks to hold said part in place about a stud.

GEORGE D. s'roRRs; t? 

